Key holder



Dec. 12, 1933. E, w PRWCHARD 1,939,023

KEY HOLDER Filed April 11, 1935 In venfor 12m; ii/Zara? fl Home y Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE KEY HOLDER,

Evan William Pritchard, Cleveland, Ohio Application April 11, 1933. Serial No. 665,577

1 Claim. (01. 59-97) The present invention relates to new and useful improvementsin holders for keys, particularly automobile, garage and house keys, and has for one of its important objects to provide, in a 5 manner as hereinafter set forth, a holder of this character embodying a novel construction, coinbination and arrangement of parts through the medium of which rattling of the keys will be prevented as well as swinging of the holder against the instrument board of an automobile when suspended from a key which is inserted in an ignition switch.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a key holder of the aforementioned character embodying a construction which is such that the keys may be easily attached and detached when desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a key holder of the character described which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efiicient and reliable in use, compact, attractive in appearance and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become ap parent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a key holder constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the holder is formed.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the key holder.

Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal horizontal section through one end portion of the holder.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated is formed from a blank 1 which comprises a single sheet of resilient material. The holder includes pairs of spaced, opposed plates 2 and 3 which are connected with each other by a comparatively short, integral web 4, thus leaving the end portions of the outer plates 3 free.

The inner plates 2 are opposed, side abutting engagement with each other, the blank 1 being folded upon itself on its longitudinal center, as indicated at 5 in Figure 2 of the drawing. It will thus be seen that a holder comprising a pair of key compartments or chambers 6 has been provided, said chambers being open on one side for the reception of the keys and being closed on the opposite side by the connecting webs 4 of the spaced plates 2 and 3.

The free end portions of the outer plates 3 of the holder are inwardly offset, as at 7 for frictionally gripping the heads 8 of the keys 9. Beveled or inclined portions 10 connect the inwardly offset end portions 7 with the main body portions or" the side plates 3. Stamped in the inwardly oilset end portions '7 of the plates 3 are studs or teats 11 which engage in the usual openings in the heads 8 of the keys 9, as clearly seen in Figure 5 of the drawing, thus securing the keys to the holder for swinging movement into and out of the chambers 6.

It will thus be seen thata key holder has been provided wherein the chambers 6 are considerably greater in width than the thickness of the keys but wherein the space between the inwardly offset end portions '7 of the side plates 3 and the corresponding portions of the inner side plates 2 is less than the thickness of ihe keys, thus assuring a frictional grip on the head portions 8 of the keys which will be sufficient to secure the keys and the holder against idle swinging movement relative to each other. As will be apparent, the keys are swung into and out of the chambers 6, said keys rotating or swinging on the studs or teats 11. As will also be apparent, the keys may be readily detached from the holder by exerting suflicient pull thereon to disengage the studs or teats 11 from the openings in said keys. The keys may be conveniently engaged-in the holder by inserting the head portions 8 in the chambers 6 and then forcing said headv portions between the inwardly offset end portions '7 of the outer plates 3 and the corresponding endportions of the inner plates 2 until the studs or teats 11 snap into the openings in the key heads, the inclined or beveled shoulders or connecting portions 16 facilitating this operation.

It isbelieved that the many advantages of a key holder constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and

although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. I What is claimed is:-

A key holder comprising a pair of integral, opposed, side abutting inner plates connected with each other along one longitudinal edge, a pair of outer plates arranged in spaced, opposed relation to the inner plates for providing key receiving chambers therebetween, integral webs connecting the outer plates with the other longitudinal edges of the inner plates, and means for frictionally gripping the keys between the end portions of the inner and outer plates, the chambers being of a; width greater than the thickness of the keys, the outer plates including inwardly inclined portions terminating in inwardly offset end portions 

